Ava Brown's Blog, page 13
November 8, 2014
Changing your mind-set can change your world
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We all have the ability to change our mind-set – to change our core inner beliefs upon which we base our view of ourselves and of the world around us. However, changing our beliefs is not an easy thing to do especially as they say “It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks”. Most people find changing eating habits a challenge, let alone a whole range of self-supporting beliefs based on negative pre-conditioning. What they need to help them is a tool – a tool for change that enables them to rapidly install new thought patterns and positive mind-sets, which will ultimately change their lives forever.
It is possible to change your mind-set The good news is, the way we view certain aspects of our lives is malleable and is based on the choice of meaning we give to certain things. If we consciously decide to develop a positive mind-set, empowered by positive thinking together with an attitude of joyous expectance of only the best, we put ourselves in the correct frame of mind to propel our self into proper action while anticipating and expecting successful outcomes.
Often external events and circumstances seem to rush in to assist with our intended result. This knowledge is priceless. The knowledge that our positive mind-set can translate into a world of difference regardless of the goal we seek.
Self Confidence When we lack confidence in ourselves our capabilities then ultimately our self-esteem suffers. The end result is a sense of worthlessness but also helplessness but even hopelessness and self-destructive behaviours in some cases. This in turn makes us feel inadequate and see everything as pointless. It is easy to stop trying to achieve because there is simply no point. We are defeated before we even begin. That’s why the correct self-confident mind-set is crucial to all other mind-sets we may adopt. First we must tackle the root cause, that puss.
When we have empowered our SELF with the confidence and belief in our SELF then we will be better able to accomplish the things we are already good at and also to learn how to do the things that at present we cannot. Accomplishing our goals and objectives becomes much easier. We are empowered from the inside out. And the results we can achieve reinforce our beliefs and boost our self-esteem and confidence even more. It can be a rising balloon spiralling upwards or a viscous circle spiralling downwards – depending on our choice.
Determination & Perseverance Part of a positive mind-set includes the determination and perseverance to overcome failures when they occur. Getting though life without failure is impossible, yet it’s the difference is the reactions and meanings we give to those failures that will determine whose mind ends up where. If we take a failure as meaning we are wasting our time and react by giving up then often we are not realizing our true potential.
Of course some failures are met to let us know that this is a goal that is unreachable. But knowing the difference is all important. Part of the positive mind-set is knowing that we will experience failures along the way and that that is normal in life and we should not put undue importance on some failures. Being able to evaluate correctly what went wrong and why and to see failure in the light of positive thinking and empowerment to perhaps try harder or by tackling the problem in a different way is essential. It is the acknowledgement that very few things worth having are so easily attained. A positive mind-set is conscious of the fact that one failure is not the end of the story but just one way it didn’t work. True failure only comes when we stop trying altogether.
Taking Action The correct positive mind-set leads to proactive positive action. Even when we are unsure or unable to proceed because of lack of knowledge or skill, a positive mind-set allows us to research and acquire those skill sets until we are able to achieve the actions we already know are necessary and important to succeed.
A person’s core inner beliefs and thought patterns are what lead to their feelings of potentiality, action and results. Simply by changing your mind-set it is possible to change not only our outlook in life by also the actual results we obtain in life.
Watch Your Self Talk Far too often we give too much attention to thoughts that are negative. This knowledge can sometimes be distressing at first and make us feel somewhat powerless over what thoughts are permeating our minds and our lives. However, if we take small steps by taking just a few of those negative thought patterns at a time and begin turning them into positive thoughts, we will feel much happier, stronger and gradually begin to take back control of our mind-set. All it takes is the commitment to start and experience the positive benefits that this technique can deliver.
Co-Creation Allowing our subconscious to flounder without leadership can sometimes hinder the correct mind-set that we need. Directing our thoughts to show that WE ARE IN CONTROL is absolutely fine and a great attitude to develop. Start leading your mind with authority and with solid direction. My suggestion is to make a diary of the changes you see once this is implemented.
It is often hard for people to imagine and accept that there is a possibility that they are co-creating their life and their world. Because if we are to accept that then we must accept that we have also co-created all that has happened before. In the end it is always up to us. No one can make us make the changes we may need. It is up to us to examine our negative self-talk, to take responsibility for it and ultimately to make the conscious choices that lead to a more positive direction.
Be Willing To Change These are your thoughts, so YOU can change them, you are the master of the ship. Although your beliefs most likely formed when you were young, you are an adult today and you have the power to affect change in your life. This is the essence of personal power: choice and responsibility.
Feed The Mind-Set You Want The fastest way to change your mind-set is to feed your mind the one you want. Every time you feed your mind with positive thoughts you are eradicating negative thoughts as feeding the positive weakens the negative.
Scientists and perennial wisdom agree with what many successful people have long discovered, that neurons don’t know the difference between whether you are actually doing something different or simply visualizing doing it differently. Either way, the neural network grows stronger.
Start Loving Your Mind-Set Allow yourself to create a passion for your new mind-set. The new mind-set you want to create. Doing this creates endorphins in your body that lead to a new sense of wellbeing. This in turn leads to a more inspired and emotionally engaged you, having more fun in your life as you enlarge and make stronger your new neural network.
Grab YOUR FREE Mind-set Talk with me TODAY
Email me info@avabrown.org, Subject Mind-set.
November 7, 2014
Knowing when to take opportunities
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Opportunity is often difficult to recognize; we usually expect it to beckon us with beepers and billboards. – William Arthur Ward.
For your FREE 15 minutes consultation on identifying opportunities to improve your life
November 6, 2014
Excellent Customer Service as your company’s new goal
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“The customer is always right” is a famous business slogan. The underlying truth behind this statement is recognizing that customers are the lifeblood for any business. Understanding the importance of good customer service is essential for a healthy business in creating new customers, keeping loyal customers, and developing referrals for future customers.
Excellent customer service begins at the point you say “hello”, regardless of the format i.e. In person, phone, or email. The use of great interpersonal skills will determine if that first contact results in a one shot customer or a long time customer who buys in to your brand, and refers others due to their loyalty and trust for what you are offering.
In todays economy where people have so much choice in how and where they spend their hard earned cash, its imperative to make a lasting impression on every potential customer. It might just take, saying “hello” with a smile to a customer who has just walked through the door, or going the extra mile to ensure when he walks away there is a lasting impression if “he is valued ” by your organization.
Kotler and Armstrong says, “a satisfied customers will tell a few people of if they are satisfaction however if dissatisfied they tell twice as many”
Armed with the fact, it’s essential that businesses start paying bonuses on what I term “client delight” by this, I am asking companies to make customer satisfaction a matrix on which their staff gets assessed.
I am far too cognisant that good customer service goes beyond the initial contact. Even if customers are just what we call eye shopping its essential to ensure they are feeling like kings. Ensuring they will want to come gain is the key as people will not remember what you say, but how you made them feel. Doesn’t it not make your job easier if you make them feel good and have wanting to revisit your place of business?
Think about how you’ve been treated whenever you’re the customer. If you’ve ever had a bad experience with a company, you know that it’s not easy to forget the encounter. Perhaps a clerk was busy stocking shelves, and didn’t help you pay for your items. Maybe there wasn’t anyone around to answer your questions or help you with some additional positive outcome for both sides.
There are numerous benefits to be derived from excellent customer service so have tour staff elevate their thoughts from good to excellent customer service. Not only will you gain trust with your current clients, they’ll also become a wonderful referral system as they spread the word about your business to other prospects. Especially with any Internet business transactions, product reviews are quite common. Whether it’s positive or negative feedback about a product or service, people are writing freely about their shopping experiences. In the long run, treating people fairly and with respect will bring business to your company today and in the future.
I dislike poor customer service myself and as such I try to ensure that everyone I come into contact with walks away with the pearl treatment.
I implore you whether you are a business owner or employee to start treating customer service as the diamond product of the organization you work for and see the transformation. Make this a new goal for 2015 and beyond , starting today.
To get your staff trained on cutting edge customer service please visit my site www.avabrown,org or drop me an email at info@avabrown.org.
I am a motivational Speaker, Business Coach, Mentor and Author.
Grab a copy of my book Bamboo & Fern and get 10% off Customer Service Training today!
October 7, 2014
PROFILE Talk Show – with Ian Boyne
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PROFILE Talk Show – with Ian Boyne – Television Jamaica.
Ava was guest on the show October 5th. In this interview Ava spoke about how she sold mangoes, learnt skills from it and made a difference in her future, as well as her book packed with her journey Bamboo & Fern.
Black History Month
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Hello again and thanks for dropping by.I am super excited for two reasons: Its Black History Month and I just got back from my Book Tour in my home country, the beautiful Jamaica, where I had an amazing time. My batteries were recharged and my spirits lifted. See my Gallery page here.
Upcoming Events
As Black History month is a celebratory month of people of colour who have contributed positively to our people, my book could not have been released at a more ideal time. I am in no way equating myself to the greats, but hope that there are inspirational and positive lessons to be learned from my story. I will be doing a number of readings and book signings for Black History Month to include Croydon, Morden, Thornton Heath and Pollard Hill libraries. See my events page for more details.
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October 24th, 2014
Morden Library London Borough of Merton
Promotion & Talk by Ava Brown .
Meet the Author and Book Signing .
10:30am to 11:30am
October 25th, 2014
Thornthon Heath LibraryLondon Borough of Croydon
Promotion & Talk by Ava Brown
Meet the Author and Book Signing .
10:00am to 11:00am
October 25th, 2014
Croydon Main LibraryLondon Borough of Croydon
Promotion & Talk by Ava Brown
Meet the Author and Book Signing .
02:00pm to 03:00pm
October 25th, 2014
Pollards Hill Library London Borough of Merton
Promotion & Talk by Ava Brown
Meet the Author and Book Signing .
12:00pm to 01:00pm
October 1, 2014
The Road Less Travelled
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I had the opportunity of going to Jamaica in September straight after a trip from Hamburg. While it was tiring doing a back to back trip, it was exhilarating. The moment I landed at Norman Manley International Airport I felt the welcoming of the sunshine, saw the smiles of the people and my soul was being fed with a potpourri of warmth I lack in Europe.
Alma Marta ST Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS.)
It was a very tightly packed few days on the island. The first day saw me driving across the country from Kingston to the South Side where I conducted an assembly at my old High School: Alma Marta ST Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS.) At this session, I was able to honour one of the greatest mothers. She was there for me as parent in absentia and a source of support. Mrs. Johnson, a Home Management Teacher now retired was in attendance and I felt truly blessed. Being the tough girl I am I didn’t intend to cry, however the tears came and I didn’t hold them back. The students were touched and I signed whatever objects they could get their hands on.
I am proud to say that I attended this noble institution, it has shaped the woman I am today. I can only hope that I am able to shape the lives of those young women in the way that my teachers shaped mine.
My trip was made complete when the Deputy Head Mrs. Holiness said “If you gave us $200000 US dollars this morning, it couldn’t equate to that which you imparted to the children this morning. It was invaluable”
Maggoty High School
I swiftly moved onto Maggoty High School where, although a stranger to the students’, I was met with warmth. The lovely Board of Directors Lola Marshall Williams, Chairman of Board of Directors and Mrs Evans were the first to welcome me. It was an extremely hot afternoon, yet the students stood and snatched every word from my mouth. They were hungry for the message and even asked for an encore. This affirmed for me there and then that this was what I wanted to do, I wanted to impact on the lives of others, help to shape their destiny and afford them the guidance I never had.
Greater Portmore High in St Catherine
The day ended and I journeyed back to Kingston to prepare for the next day which promised to be just as exciting, but I was now nervous. My next engagement would not be an audience of high school students but university students, who were keener and even more critical. My next stop was Greater Portmore High in St Catherine, I was invited by an Educational Officer who was lovely enough to pick me up and drove me to the school. The students were lovely, warm and very receptive. I left them with the message of self-belief and perseverance, which I believe is fundamental to achieving any real success.
Honourable Ambassador Burchelll Whiteman
I then hurried back to my apartment to change into something more formal for my book reading at the University of Technology, where I would read my book to an audience of lecturers and students. It was an amazing experience that was heightened by the appearance of the Honourable Ambassador Burchelll Whiteman. He was instrumental in helping to fashion the woman I am today and of course I presented him with a signed copy of my book.I was introduced to my attentive audience by my very good friend and Godfather of my children Dr. Garfield Young who also acted as my host while on the island.
“Profile” talk show
That day got even busier as I had a date with Ian Boyne the host of the prestigious “Profile” talk show. My mum accompanied me and it was great to see her glow with pride and happiness at how far I had come.
Watch the Full interview here.
I was pampered and preened in hair and make-up and I must say, when they were done, I did a double take. I didn’t know I could look so good!. The beech seemed a fitting place to rest after two very hectic days, so my mum, my son and myself headed to the beach where we chowed down on the very best of Jamaica’s seafood delicacies. I sat there and allowed the waves to massage my tired, worn and weary body.
Meet up with Nashuman Drummond,
Lifestyle Gleaner editor
The weekend came and things took a slower pace which was truly what I needed. I got a chance to meet up with Nashuman Drummond , Lifestyle Gleaner editor who did the piece “From mangoes to MBA”. We chatted about the book and just being back home after such a long time, it was fantastic to finally meet her.
Taking it to church
Being a Christian, regardless of where I find myself globally, I strive to find a place of worship. While in Jamaica this is an easy choice to make. Not only was there so much to be thankful for I wanted to mix with my people. I ended up at Fellowship Tabernacle: a church of over 2000 people. The Reverend Al Miller gave me the opportunity to address his congregation and I was able speak about my bio. This was such a special moment as Reverend Miller christened my daughter Chardonae Elizabeth. He was delighted to see how far I had come and this experience reminded me of His favour and grace in my life.
My last stop
Before I knew it, it was almost time to leave, but not before I visited the much respected University of the West Indies to address the Autobiographical Studies Department. Lisa Brown the Adjunct lecture made me feel so welcome and I have taken that with me, as this was resonated at each venue I visited. It was delightful. The students were intrigued and asked many questions. I was most honoured when Professor Carolyn Cooper and my very own cousin, Sharon Brown walked in. Shortly thereafter, I had to leave for the airport, walking away from my beloved island: from the soil that moulded me. I know it wasn’t good bye but see you soon, be good, be well and be safe, until we meet again. Thanks Jamaica “My passion has been renewed and my drive more than ever inspired”
Until next time Love Ava Brown x
August 29, 2014
Bamboo & Fern
August 25, 2014
My Story
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Bringing together my wealth of knowledge, experience, and insight, I have launched my highly anticipated biography, Bamboo and Fern, this month. My decision to put pen to paper stems from my desire to share my childhood experiences. Experiences that gave me strong roots to grow but made me tough and bendable like the bamboo plant, at the same time I am vulnerable with a huge capacity for survival, somewhat like a fern. It is this intriguing metaphor that inspired the title of my debut book that tells the courageous story of Ava, growing up in one of the poorest areas of Jamaica, and learning life’s lessons of perseverance and survival.
From a young age, I had a self-taught belief that I was destined for more than the community’s recreational activities of sex, raising babies and going to the farm, gave me the courage and determination to forge a very different path than the one expected of me.
My story begins in a poor, rural area, where the need to find food often took priority over school. The moving story follows my journey through my adolescent years, which were encased in the dark shadows of incest and sexual abuse, to my young adult years when the event of being held at gunpoint finally led me to flee my home country in order to save my sanity.
My resilience and love for my native country allowed me to view the harsh experiences I was exposed to as stepping stones on the journey to becoming a strong and self-reliant woman. A woman who is capable of helping our society to break the vicious cycle of poverty and its often catastrophic effects.
Through my rousing book, Bamboo & Fern, I invite you to share my journey. You will experience my triumphs and setbacks, my trials and tribulations. Bamboo & Fern will break your heart, before it makes you smile. Be prepared for a rollercoaster ride that will undoubtedly motivate, inspire and fuel.
August 21, 2014
Bamboo and Fern – Ava Brown
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First and foremost, I just wanted to share with you a brief insight into my background – where I’ve come from, what I’ve achieved, and how I hope my experiences can empower you to maximise your full potential.
I started my life as something of a country girl growing up in St Elizabeth, Jamaica. As one of nine children from a poor family, education never took a priority and I spent much of my time selling mangoes on the streets, to allow my family to sustain a basic lifestyle.
Throughout my childhood, however, I had a constant desire to learn and better myself through education. I knew that life had so much more to offer me than the repetitive, prospect-less routine, that was perceived to be the norm in my home town.
I was determined that I would amount to more than what my situation offered me – I was always driven to achieve my full potential.Despite countless bad experiences, and relentless struggles, I found my inner strength and turned the negatives into positives – truly transforming my life.
Through my work as a mentor, motivational speaker, and all round successful business women, I hope to give back to the community that made me what I am today. I truly believe that, with the right attitude and mind-set, anyone can turn their life around and realise their full potential.
My work is about empowerment and encouragement. I want to encourage women from all walks of life to believe in themselves, and empower them to become as successful and confident as they are destined to be.
Now that I have published my first book, ‘Bamboo and Fern’– an autobiography that tells the story of my life, my struggles, and my triumph over adversity. I hope that it will inspire and move you – it will definitely break your heart before it makes you smile.
I’ll be talking more about my upcoming projects in the next post, but for now, you can find more information on my website. And of course, if you need the meantime, please get in touch
Speak soon,
May 18, 2014
From mangoes to MBA – by Nashauna Drummond
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On Friday, May 2, Ava Brown received her MBA from the University of Wales in London. This is a major achievement for the eldest of nine children, who grew up in Braes River, St Elizabeth, selling mangoes on a train while her friends attended school.
“I’m from a family where nobody had attended university. I’m a little girl who came from nowhere in particular and hardly went to primary school, and now I have an MBA,” she said.
Her pride is obvious. And it is well earned.
As a young girl, Brown would spend hours each day on the train that made the bumpy journey from Balaclava to Cambridge in St James. While other children her age were concerned with books and pencils, her life revolved around the fine skin, number 11, and Robin mangoes that she sold in an effort to help provide for her family.
“Some (people on the train) pitied me, others supported me, thinking I must need the help. To be honest, I wasn’t focusing on their behaviour towards me, as at that age, pride wasn’t as prevalent as it is now,” she told Outlook.
ONE WAY OUT
But that didn’t stop her. Neither did the other children in the community giving her the unflattering nickname ‘Mango Girl’. Even at that age, Brown knew her only way out of poverty was education.
“Education is a door opener, it can change and reshape your life’s destiny if you apply yourself,” she said.
So she applied herself and, little by little, she chipped away at the stumbling blocks in her path. Today, she is employed to a reputable American company, IHS Global, as a global business development and account manager within Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the United States and the Caribbean.
Her first step after graduating from St Elizabeth Technical High School was enrolling in Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in Montego Bay.
“I didn’t plan to go into teaching; I wanted to be a barrister, but my family couldn’t afford it and so I got a grant from the then Minister of Education Burchell Whiteman. He was like an angel whose help gave me wings, and that’s how I ended up in teaching,” Brown recalled.
Going off to college was a big deal in her community.
“My mom and siblings were overjoyed, but it was also a celebratory period for the community. Everyone helped. Some gave a sheet, a flannel, a suitcase, everyone chipped in as I was moving to live on campus and we simply didn’t have the means to afford the items necessary.
“The community sent me to college, essentially, in terms of my supplies of clothing, etc. I loved that sense of community in Jamaica growing up. I do hope it’s still there. As they say, ‘It takes a village to grow a child’. This is something that is absent in London. Daily, I wish my own two children got to experience that.”
120 APPLICATIONS, ONE OFFER
By age 19, Brown was teaching design and technology at Ardenne and Meadowbrook high schools. In a telephone interview with Outlook, she recalled that, after receiving her teaching degree, she sent out more than 120 applications. Joan Davis-Williams from Ardenne was the only one to give her a chance. Though it was a temporary position, at the end of her tenure, Davis-Williams informed her of a permanent position at Meadowbrook High School. But Brown didn’t stop there, going on to get her business degree from a university in the United States via distance learning. She then worked at Cable & Wireless Jamaica and Digicel.
Brown was comfortable. She had a good job and owned her own home. But then life threw her a curve ball in 2002, when she was robbed at gunpoint at her Montego Bay home. The experience left her scarred and changed the course of her life.
“It was a difficult and life-changing period. I am extremely thankful to God that our lives were spared. It was horrendous. I had to drive these gunmen, with one in the passenger seat with a gun pointed on me and another in the back seat with a gun pointed on my three-year-old daughter. We were dumped on Dragon Beach, and after that, I just couldn’t cope with the experience.
“I moved to Santa Cruz after the attack, but still I relived the experience daily. I became paranoid, constantly looking over my shoulders. It wasn’t a great way to continue living and also to raise a child. I have never envisaged living overseas as I had a great job, owned my own home, and was really doing well at the time. Yet, after the psychological trauma of this experience, I sought to migrate to save my sanity.”
NEEDED MORE QUALIFICATIONS
Brown got a teaching opportunity in the United Kingdom (UK) and jumped at the chance. But after a few years, things again took a turn when she found out that her teaching qualifications were only sufficient to secure her initial role in the UK and they needed to be enhanced if she was to advance in the profession. She also found that her business degree was not recognised in the UK. She couldn’t continue teaching, and she wasn’t qualified to do anything else.
Meanwhile, she had a mortgage to pay and a child to care for. She told Outlook that, at that time, she felt like packing up and returning home. Her then boyfriend, now husband Boniface, was doing his MBA via distance learning with RDI. She did some research, applied and was accepted into the MBA programme.
The journey was not easy. During that time, she became pregnant and got married, but she was determined to have it all.
“Women are led to believe they should feel guilty for wanting both career and family. It’s not the case, as living cost is so expensive globally. So the contribution of a woman to the household finances is crucial. More important, women who work are passing excellent values on to their children. Speaking from my own experience, it’s a difficult juggling act, but the satisfaction outweighs it for me, personally. When I can buy that lovely bag I want, or take a trip over to Italy to shop without having to ask my partner for money, it is priceless. Ultimately, ‘reach for the sky’ is my motto, and you may just get the stars.”
NOT QUITE THERE YET
Brown still has some reaching to do. Ultimately, she wants to be the CEO of her own consultancy company.
“You must never limit yourself, regardless of where you are from or your ethnicity. Only you can change your destiny. I’m a firm believer in being able to change a situation.”
She also hopes to publish her autobiography, Bamboo and Fern, edited by Joanna Thompson, in August. Not only does it chronicle her life, the title is also a reflection of it.
“In 2008, while I was going through a very difficult period, someone who is like a sister to me sent me a message, encouraging me to stay strong and bendable; she made reference to me bending like the bamboo. I then researched it and realised that there was a comparison with my life.
“Using the metaphor of the bamboo, my childhood experiences gave me strong roots to grow, but made me tough. I later realised that, like a fern, I’m vulnerable, but I have a huge capacity for survival.”
She hopes her story will be inspiring for young people to realise that with education they, too, can change the course of their lives.
“Sometimes things will not necessarily go the way you want them to, but instead, they happen the way the Man upstairs intends for them to. His timing is the best as He already knows where He is leading you. Instead, use the difficulties as a platform to work even harder to achieve your God-given ambitions and goals.
“Everything is about correct timing and tapping into the universe for that which you need. Opportunities will knock, but we have to be able to recognise them and take full advantage of them. Sometimes, life will throw curve balls at us, but you have to know how to curve yourself with those balls and not quit or break, as what you may not know is that moment you choose to quit may be the very moment your chance or break may arrive.”
Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140518/out/out3.html
Nashauna Drummond, Lifestyle Editor
Published: Sunday | May 18, 2014
